Grain-scourer.



Nb. 767,910. PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

J. E. MITCHELL.

GRAIN SGOURER. APPLICATION VIILED APR. 23, 1904.

no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I'I'IIIII' IIII.

PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

J. E. MITCHELL. GRAIN SCOURER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1904.

NO MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFIC GRAlN-SCOURER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,910, dated August 16, 1904.

Application filed April 23, 1904.

Be it known that I, JOHN E. MITCHELL, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grain-Scourers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a grain-scouremand the object of the invention is to provide a simple apparatus of this character which will effectually and thoroughly scour or clean grain.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification I illustrate one convenient adaptation of the invention, which I will set forth in detail in the following description; but I do not limit myself to the exact disclosure thus made, for certain variations may be adopted Within the scope of my claims succeeding such description.

Referring to said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a grain-scourer including my invention. Fig; 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same.

Like characters refer to like parts in both views. 7

By the machine hereinafter described I provide means for centrifugally forcing two bodies or streams of grain toward and against each other, the force of impact being sufficient to cause the kernels to scour each other, loosening the dirt and fuzz by virtue of the forcible contact and polishing the grain by friction of the kernels thereof against each other. The casing which contains the centrifugal stream-forcing mechanism is also provided with a foraminous portion, which contines the grain in the proper place while being scoured, and through this foraminous portion I direct currents of air in order to draw oif the dirt andother foreign matter in the mass.

The machine may be employed for scouring various kinds of grain, it having been found particularly advantageous for cleaning wheat.

In the'drawings hereinbefore referred to the numeral 5 denotes a casing, and this casing is represented as being cross-sectionally of substantially oval form.

represented as containing two beater devices, each denoted in a general way by 6 and hereinafter more particularly described. The

The casing is.

Serial No. 204,622. (No model-l heads of the casing are furnished with depending legs, each denoted by 7, adapted to be bolted or otherwise suitably united to some support.

The top of the casing 5 is denoted by 8 and is in the form of a foraminous body or screen through which, as will hereinafter appear, currents of air are directedfor example, by the agency of one or more exhaust-fans. Upon the top of the casing is mounted a housing 9, with which the suction portions of the fans are connected, the chamber of the housing 9 being in communication through the perforations of the screen 8 with the chamber of the casing 5.

Each beater-shaft is denoted by 10 and is supported by suitable bearings in the heads or ends ofthe casing 55..

At oneend of the casing 5 and above the two parallel beater-device shafts 10 is a feedopening for the grain, to which a pocket or hopper, as 11, suitably fixed to said casing, leads,the grain being delivered into said pocket or hopper and falling through said feed-opening into the casing in order to be brought while in the latter under the action of the rotary beater devices, which beater devices, as will hereinafter appear, are rotated at a high velocity. At the opposite end of the casing 5 is a delivery-outlet (shown as formed in the bottom thereof) and from which the chute or spout 12 leads. The grain, as will hereinafter appear, is positively advanced along the length of the casing interiorly thereof and leaves the said casing by way of the chute or spout 12. r

Each beater device being the same in construction, a detailed description of one will answer for both.

Keyed or otherwise suitably secured to a shaft 10, near the opposite ends thereof and within the casing 5, are spiders, as 13, having peripheral projections, as 14, to which are connected beater-blades, as 15. The beaterblades therefore connect the two spiders, so as to present a skeleton structure. These beater-blades 15 are represented as spiral in order to positively feed grain from the inlet toward the outlet of the casing. It will be seen that the two beater devices are separatedthat is to say, they do not mesh or en-' gage-whereby the grain, as will hereinafter appear, may freely fall through the space between said beater devices and onto the bottom of the casing. The beater devices are oppositely rotative, and in Fig. 2 1 have shown by arrows their direction of rotation. Said beater devices may be operated in any suitable wayfor example, by means of suitablydriven pulleys or the like fastened to their shafts.

It will be apparent that the upper half of the rotation of the wheel-like beater devices is toward each other, whereby said beater devices as they are rotated at a high speed can forcibly throw bodily two streams of grain toward and into intimate rubbing association with each other and against the screen 8.

Upon the housing 9 are mounted two fans, each denoted in a general way by 16 and having a common shaft, which may be rotated through the intervention of suitable driving mechanism,- as that denoted in a general way by 17 in Fig. 1. The suction side of the two fans or their casings opens into the interior of the housing 9. These fans serve to draw air through the screen 8, which air is admitted into the casing 5 through openings or inlets in the heads of said casing around the shafts 10. As previously indicated,two bodies of grain are thrown from opposite directions centrifugally against each other in the upper part of the casing, the force of impact of the two bodies being naturally multiplied by reason of the fact that said bodies or streams come in opposite directions. As the streams strike each other great friction between the kernels in the mass ensues, which loosens the dirt therein and the outer skin of the grain. The two bodies, it will be understood, are in contact below and against the under side of the screen 8. While the beater devices are being operated, the two fans are being simultaneously operated, so as to project currents of air through the associated bodies or mass of grain below the screen and also through the latter, such air-currents drawing the dirt and objectionable matter from the mass through the perforations in the screen, the mesh of the latter being insufficient to prevent the passage of the grain-kernels therethrough. The foreign matter removed from the mass may be disposed of by the fans in any desirable way. For example, it may be delivered to a dust-collector.

I have just stated, in part, the operation that ensues while the machine is in motion. The complete action of the machine is as follows: Initially grain is fed into the casing 5 through the pocket 11 and strikes the rapidly-rotating beater devices 6. Each beater device carries around a stream of the grain and when the beater devices have practically made a complete rotation they forcibly throw centrifugally, the two bodies or streams of grain toward and against each other in the upper part of the casing to secure the results hereinbefore set forth. After the two bodies of grain strike each other they fall through the space between the two beater devices and onto the bottom of the casing. The two beater devices then divide the mass on the bottom of the casing again into two bodies, which bodies are carried partly around by the beater devices, as before stated, and thrown together near the top of the casing, but at a place beyond that at which the first-mentioned bodies were associated. A continuous stream is fed into the machine, it being, as will be understood, divided practically in two streams, each of which moves spirally around the two beater devices from the inlet toward the outlet end of the machine, the spiral blades of the beater devices positively feeding the material longitudinally of the casing. The impact of the bodies of material is repeated, as will be apparent, a number of times, which number of course varies With the length of the machine, whereby when the grain leaves the machine by way of the discharge chute or spout 12 it will be as clean as possible. The grain passes from the chute or spout 12 into an air-trunk, as 18, through which suitably-controlled currents of air are passed, Which currents of air lift out the impurities in the grain that are too coarse to pass through the screen 8, which latter, it will be evident, is coextensive with the two beater devices. The impurities removed from the grain in the trunk 18 are deposited in the tip 19, from which they are intermittently discharged.

Having thus described the invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a grain-scourer, a pair of oppositelyrotated beater devices, and a casing inclosing said beater devices, having aforaminous portion arranged in cooperative relation with the beater devices, the latter being adapted to centrifugally throw bodies of grain toward and into forcible contact with each other, and each including a plurality of spirallyformed blades to positively advance or feed the grain longitudinally of the casing, and means for positively directing air-currents through the contacting bodies of grain and also through said foraminous portion.

2. In a grain-scourer, a pair of oppositelyrotated beater devices, a casing inclosing the same, having a foraminous portion arranged in working relation with said beater devices, shafts for supporting the beater devices, said shafts extending through the ends of the casing and said ends having air-inlets around the shafts, said beater devices being adapted to centrifugally throw bodies of grain toward and into forcible contact with each other, and each including a plurality of spirallyformed blades adapted to positively advance or feed the grain longitudinally of the casing,

ITO

opens into said casing,

and an exhaust-fan, the suction part of which the fan serving to draw air through said inlets, contacting bodies of grain and foraminous portion of the casing.

3. In a grain-scourer, a pair of oppositelyrotated beater devices, and a casing inclosing the same, having a forarninous top, said beater devices being adaptedto centrifugally throw bodies of grain toward and into forcible contact with each other out of the range of action of said beater devices, the latter being separated to provide a space for the descent of the mass of grain between said beater devices, to the bottom of the casing, and each beater device including a plurality of spirallyforrned blades adapted to positively advance or feed the grain longitudinally of the casing, and means for forcing air-currents through the contacting bodies of grain and also through said foraminous top.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand'in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN E. MITCHELL.

I/Vitnesses:

J. N. BONNER, MARK MAITLAND. 

